Reed-organ



4 (No Model.)

M. CLARK.

- I REED ORGAN.

Patented Jan. 20, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE-O MELVILLE CLARK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

R E E D O R G A N SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.310,933, dated January 20, 1885.

Application [iled November i853. (X in -del.)

To all whom it may concern: Reference will be made to the accompany- Beit known that I, MELvILLE CLARK, a ing drawings, in which Figure 1. is asectional citizen of the United States of America, review of an action;Fig. 2, a plan of the same siding at Chicago, in the county of Cook andwith parts removed, and Fig 3 a view in de- 55 5 State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new tailshowingarrangement ofopeningsover the anduseful Improvements in ReedOrgans, of vibrating ends of the reeds.

which the following is a specification, ret'er- Like letters refer tolike parts in each view.

ence being bad therein to the accompanying A denotes thereed-board.which is slotted to drawings. provide an air-passage,a, foreach pair ofreeds, 60

IO My invention relates to that class of reedand through whichcommunication is made organs in which, in addition to the ordinary withthe wind-chest B below such reed-board, mute of the reedcells, anadditional or anxilsaid openings being closed bycushioned valves iarymute situated over the vibrating ends of C, oscillating on studs Z),guided on steady-pins the reeds is employed. Heretoforein the class a,and pressed to their seats by springs d. o 5

I 5 referred to there have been three different Upon the reed-board Aare glued two lonconstructions employed, as follows: first,gitudisally-tapering boards, D, one of which where the auxiliary mutehas opened into the is shown in plan in Fig. 3. These boards are organ,whereby the harsher tones are obgouged out from their under sidesthrough tained; second, where the auxiliary mute has their exteriorbeveled edges, to form cells for 70 been situated within a chamberprovided with reeds c proportional to the increasing sizes of aninwardly-opening valve,and through which such reeds,which are shiftedinto bottom side the valve-stems are passed, by means of which groovesof such cells to lie close upon the reedthe harsher notes are obtained,and also, to a board A and over air-passages a. The end certain extent,the softer notes; and, third, openings of these cells are closed byniutes E, 75

where the auxiliary mute has been situated which are situated underswells F, both of within a chamber to which air is admitted which partsare suitably hinged, andadapted only through the openings which arecovered to be operated by the ordinary stops. Boards by said mute andthrough the pores of the D, when in position, contact at their innerwood forming said chamber, and by this lastedges, and are provided withopenings f, 36

0 named construction the softest notes have been through which valvestems 9 pass, as will be obtained. 1 described.

The object of this invention is to so arrang Situated upon boardsDisastrip, G,through the parts that in the one instrument all the whichopenings for the valve-stems are made. harshest and softest notes maybe'obtained, This strip extends the entire length of the in- 5 and,further, to so arrange theopenings covstrument, and to each outer edgethereof is ered by the auxiliary mutes that they may 5 hinged a swell,H, as shown in Fig. l. The be applied to the entire instrumentamlfacilii outer or free end of each swell II rests upon a tate the tuningof the same. 1 strip, 1, which strips are secured upon the To theaccomplishment of the above, the inboards D, and which in height are alittle less 9 4o vention consists, first, in employing an addithan thestrip G. Situated within the spaces tional swell, under which theadditional mute or chambers formed by these strips and swells is to besituated, and whereby all the advanare the auxiliary mutes J, whichcover a setages of a closed chamber and having the mute ries ofopenings, K, formed in each of the open into the interior of theinstrument are boards D, and situated over the vibrating ends 95obtained, and, secondly, in the particular arof the reeds. Theseauxiliary swells and rangement of the openings covered by said mutes areoperated by any suitable stops. additional mutes, said novel arrangementcon- The openings K, described as formedjin sisting in having all ofsuch openings from boards D, are arranged as shown in Fig. 8. center Cthrough the treble of uniform size, As shown in that figure, theseopenings from P20 while those from the center C through the middle Cthroughout the treble end of the bass are graduated. organ are of auniform size, while those from middle (1 throughout the bass aregraduated, the largest of said openings being preferably one and onehalf inch, while the smallest is one-eighth of an inch, and, while thesizes may be varied, the proportion shouldiremain the same. Thisarrangement I have found necessary in order to tune the entireinstrument, it being impossible where all the openings are of a uniformsize or where they are graduated throughout the instrument. I have alsofound that while the openings beneath the reeds may be graduatedthroughout the instrument the same arrangement will not answer for thoseover the reeds.

The arrangement of the reeds and the openings through which air isadmitted thereto is such that air admitted to the reed-cell through theopening adapted to be closed by the ordi nary mute is drawn down by thesuction-bellows, while that admitted through the open ings over thevibrating ends of the reeds is forced into direct contacttherewith,wl1ieh difference in the direction of the air-currents rendersnecessary the different arrangement of the two series of openings, asherein described and claimed.

By the employment of the auxiliary swells I am enabled to obtain all thesoftness of tone consequent upon the use of a closed chamber, and at thesame time all the advantages de rived from having the auxiliary mutesOX- posed.

In the drmvings, L is the key-board, and M one of the keys. I cover theopenings formed at the end of the action for the auxiliary mates withsuitableleather or felt caps, N, such as are described in a formerapplication made by me.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. The combinatiomwith the ordinary mute and swell ofa reed-organ, of an auxiliary swell and an auxiliary mute situated undersaid swell, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a reed-organ, the board D, provided with a series of openingssituated over the vibrating ends of the reeds and covered by auxiliarymutes, said openings being of uniform size from middle 0 throughout thetreble, and graduated from middle 0 throughout the bass, as and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MELVILLE CLARK.

\Vitnessrs:

M. J. Cmon'rr. he 0. Sonnonnnn.

